No games on BS Fuji this season, no games on Gaora, no national network with announcers and camera crews to provide coverage from Okinawa to northern Tohoku.

(Sorry, folks, BJTV, online viewing, doesn't cut it. It's a backup plan to watch a few games, not a substitute for a proper sports broadcast with professional announcers and all of the angles and replays of 21st century high-definition television.)

It was a stunning development that has highlighted how incredibly mismanaged the bj-league really is.With the season nearing its midway point in a few weeks, the All-Star Game is a rare opportunity for fans of the league and casual sports fans to enjoy a fun contest and watch popular players from the entire league in action. But not a real TV station this season. It's not happening.

But the beat goes on ... the league continues expanding, only increasing its problems.

Listen to one veteran coach, one who has been in the league a long time, discuss the TV problem:

"Good thing games aren't on TV," he said facetiously. "Or (Toyama center) Ira Brown would be famous across Japan for some of the dunks he threw down against Nagano (Shinshu) two weeks ago. Plays like that should be on Japan's version of 'Sports Center' every night, or at least on some NHK Sunday night sports show.

"Way to go, smart leaders in the basketball world of the JBA/JBL/BJL/JNBL, who keep wondering how to make basketball a major sport in this country."